Dimming apparatus



June 19, 1928. Q 7 1,674,052

' w. E. MCLAUGHLIN DIMMING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 25, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l p 11,11,111! 'IIII'IIII.

11v VENTOR WILL/AN E. L/IUGD /IV.

A TTORNE VS June 19, 1928. 1,674,052

w. E. MCLAUGHLIN DIMMING APPARATUS Original Filed 2 1925 s Sheets-Sheet s fil W B 3 INVENTOR KB $1 WILL/m1 E./ILAUO'/1L/1Y ATTORNEYS tion filed November Patented June 19, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MCLAUGHLIN, OF MIDDLETOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARKELEXV ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MIDDLETOWN, OHIO, 'A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DIMMING APPARATUS.

Original application fiIedNovember 25, 1925, Serial N0. 71,809.

ratus and, in particular, to an apparatus to be installed on cars employing two filament bulbs or separate dimming bulbs without a resistance, and is a division of my applica- 25, 1925, Serial No. 71,309.

It is the object of my invention to provide aswitch which may be applied to existing cars or which may be originally applied on automobiles as factory equipment, which may be used on cars which do not have a resistance in their main switch or elsewhere but which employ for dimming purposes bulbs with two filaments or two separate bulbs.

It is a further object to provide a switch and wiring whichcan be readily attached to the existing electrical equipment of a car and which can be operated by the foot of the operator, employed. 1

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation oft-he switch inas his hands are already fully stalled on a floor board with the floor board and cover o'ftheswitch shown in section, the side walls of the cover being removed;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1.;

Figure 4: is an elevation of the switch showing the cover elevated to permit of access to the switch Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing :the switch button and associated mechanism in depressed position;

Figure 6 isa bottom plan view of the switch mechanism;

Figure 7 is a perspective of the switch plunger and contact members;

Figure 8 is a section on the line' 8-'8 of Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a wiring diagram showing the switch-on the dash board of a car in position to burn the lights brightly with the operating plunger of the dimming switch with the cover the cover plate 3, which washers 1 6, nuts 17 Dividcd'and this application filed April 1,

Serial No. 99,171.

because the switch on the dash board is thrown into dimming position;

Figure 12 is a similar view to Figure 11 with the switch'plunger depressed so that the lights are bright;

Figure '13 is an elevation of the switch removed showing the plunger 111 its uppermost position and the contact fingers on the other side from that side shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 14 is a similar view to that shown in Figure 13, showing the plunger depressed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 is the floor board of a vehicle which is constructed to receive the supporting screws 2, the lower ends of which are threaded through has a support ng cup 4. A Ushaped sliding cover 5 closes the open sides of the supporting cup and has its top resting 011 top of the cover plate 3, an aperture 6 being provided in the sliding cover 5 to permit of the passage of the stem 7, which carries the foot button 8 on the upper end thereof. This button is detachable and the stem itself is adapted to be extended in sections.

The supporting cup 4: carries on its ba'sea plate of insulating material 9 which is provided with/depressed grooves 10 for receiving the flat base 11 of the several contact fingers. These bases of the contact fingers are limited in their inward position by a square portion 12 in the center of which is position by the screws 15 which constitute the terminal screws which carry on their outside ends below the supporting cup the usual and locking washers 18 for clamping the cables thereto. Surrounding the stem 7 is a helical spring 19, one end of which rests on the cup 4: while the other end abuts against the insulated plunger 20,

which carries a plurality of segmental contact rings 21. 23 and 25 disposed at different elevations and on different portions of the periphery of this insulated plunger 20.

As will be seen in Figures 1, '2, at and 5, the contact fingers 22 and 22 both engage the segmental contactring 23 when that ring and the plunger are in their uppermost pos tion, The insulated plunger with its om dis-engaged from the finger 22. The finger 22 engages the segmental contact ring 25. This segmental ring 25 extends around the other side of the insulated plunger where it is adapted to engage with a contact finger 26 when the plunger is depressed. The segmental ring 23 extends inthe other direction around to the other side of the insulated plunger 20 where it is adapted to engage with the contact finger 27 when the plunger is depressed.

When the insulated plunger 20 is in its elevated position, as iii-Figure 13, showing its other side of the swltch, the contact ring- 21 is in engagement with the fingers 26 and 27 and, in Figure14, it is dis-engaged but the depression of the plunger has connected with fingers 26 and 27 the rings 25 and 23 respectively so that the fingers 26 and'22 are 1 both inengagement with the ring 25 when the plunger is depressed and fingers 27 and 22 are in engagement with the ring 23 when "the plunger'is depressed.

Referring to the electrical diagram, 29 isa ground for the wire 30 which is connected to a battery 31. This battery is connected by the wire 32 to the switch terminal 33 on which is pivoted a switch arm 34 adapted to engage with the contact 35. This contact is connected by the wire 36 to the spring finger of theswitch, designated 22*, in the position shown. This finger is connected by the contact ring 23 to the contact finger 22, which is, in turn, connected bythe wire 37 which,

in turn, is connected to the wire 38 and is connected to the bright lamp 39. On its other side, it is connected by the wire 40 to the other bright lamp 41. Each of the lamps is grounded by the grounds 42 and 43.

The other side of the circuit is provided with a contact 44 from which leads a wire 45 to thecontact finger 26. The other contact finger 27 is connected by a wire 46 to the small or dim lamps'47. In these diagrams the heavy line indicates the contact ring which is actuated.

Thus, in Figure 9, the ground 29, wire 30, battery 31, wire 32, terminal 33, switch arm 34, contactg35, wire 36, contact finger 22, contact ring 23, contact finger 22 wire 37, wires 38 and 40, bright lamps39 and 41 and grounds 42. and 43 are in circuit.

In Figure 10, the lights are dim because the circuit consists of the ground 29, wire 30,

battery 31, wire 32, terminal 33, switch arm 34, contact 35, wire 36, contact finger 22 contact ring '23, contact finger 27, wire 46, dim lamps 47 and grounds 42 and 43.

In Figure 11, which lights are normally dim, the circuit consists of ground 29, wire 30, battery 31, wire 32, terminal 33,-switch arm 34, contact 44, wire 45, contact finger 26, contact ring 21, contact finger 27, wire 46, lamps 47 and grounds 42 and 43.

In Figure 12, the circuit consists of ground29, wire 30, battery 31, wire 32, terminal 33, switch arm 34, contact 44, wire45, contact finger 26, contact ring 25,contact finger 22 wire 37 wires 38 and 40 to lamps 39 and 41 and grounds 42 and 43.

It will be obvious that if the operator throws his switch existing on the car for bright lights, he maycause the lights to be dimmed by depressing the stem and insulated plunger of the toot switch, but, it he carries his lights normally dim with his switch in that position, as in Figures 11 and 12, he can brighten his lightsby depressing the stem and insulated plunger of the "foot switch.

,' When I refer to bright and dim, I include filaments of same intensity but so located that one in focus will'throw the light a greater distance than the one out of focus. Such terms as bright and dim will be so understood in the claims,

'It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt t to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I: claim as new and desire to secure combinations, one of said contacts always connecting a pair of said fingers so that there is always a closed circuit, guides on one of said contact rings to engage one of said contact fingers to guide said reciprocatory member and means to support said supporting means beneath the floor board of a vehicle and a foot actuated member adapted to be connected to said reciprocatory member, whereby the foot of an operator of a vehicle may operate the switch.

' 2. In combination, a switch consisting of a supporting means, a plurality of contact fingers carried thereby, insulating means for supporting said fingers, a reciprocatory member adapted to reciprocate adjacentsaid fingers and a plurality of contact rings mounted on said reciprocatory member for 4..

connecting said contact fingers in varying combinations, one of said contacts always connecting a pair of said fingers so that there is always a closed circuit, guides on one of said contact rings to engage one of said contact fingers to guide said reciprocatory member and means to support said supporting means beneath the floor board of a vehicle and a foot actuated member adapted to be connected to said reciprocatory mem ber, whereby the foot of an operator of a vehicle may operate the switch, said contact rings being spaced from one another at different elevations and being segmentary, they are disposed on different positions on the periphery of the reciprocatory member.

3. In a switch, a supporting cup, a cover plate, a sliding cover, a reciprocatory plunger working in said cover plate and cover, and supporting cup, yielding means to move said plunger in one direction and an insulating member carried thereby, a plurality of segmental rings spaced from one another disposed about the periphery of the insulating member, a plurality of contact fingers of varying heights adapted to be connected together by said contact rings in varying combinations according to the position of the insulating member, one of said segmental rings always connecting a pair of said fingers, so that there will always be a closed circuit, and means to maintain the insulating member in a predetermined position on the plunger.

4. In combination, in a switch consisting of a support, an insulating supporting plate, a plurality of contact fingers arranged about a given center having inwardly extending contact portions, said fingers being of requisite height and lengths of contact portions to engage contact members, reciprocating therebetween, contact members of which one is always in engagement with a pair of said fingers, an insulating member carrying said contact members and a spring-pressed plunger carrying said insulating member, said contact members being arranged at different heights on said insulating member at different points around the periphery of said insulating member.

5. In combination, a switch having a plurality of contact fingers, a member adapted to reciprocate adjacent said fingers, a plurality of contacts on said member for engaging said fingers in varying combinations, one of said contacts always connecting a pair of said fingers so that there is always a closed circuit, guides on one of said contacts on said reciprocating member to engage one of said contact fingers and guide said reciprocating member and means for actuating said member.

6. In combination, a switch having a plurality of contact fingers, a member adapted to reciprocate adjacent said fingers, a plurality of contacts on said member for engaging said fingers in varying combinations, one of said contacts always connecting a pair of said fingers so that there is always a closed circuit, and remaining in connection therewith until after another contact engages a pair of fingers, guides on one of said contacts on said reciprocatory member to engage one of said contact fingers and guide said reciprocating member and means for actuating said contacts.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

WILLIAM E. MOLAUGHLIN. 

